Way to go! For all the people move to AZ for the weather, you should learn to "do as the Romans do".

Sent by Shelia | 1:46 PM ET | 08-07-2007

The new design and installation is a tad bit too austere for my eye, but you gotta applaud them for trying to calm and charm the 'natives'.
I wonder why they decided to eradicate the existing queen palm that formally lived near the front door entry ? It added a nice sense of scale to the height of the house.

Sent by Michelle Derviss | 10:32 PM ET | 08-07-2007

Queen Palms aren't well suited for dry desert winds, they require lots of food and pampering. The palo verde tree will be beautiful in just a few years with little water required after it is established. The "natives" you refer to are likely xeriscaped as well. If you have a property with front landscape area it is a responsibility to care for it and contribute to the community for all.

Sent by Linda Larson | 12:33 AM ET | 08-08-2007

Interesting that you mention the Queen palm. Rene was particularly fond of this as well. It had taken a beating in a recent storm and the fronds had started to look tattered. Tom cautioned me that, to do it right, it would need extensive and periodic care. In the end, we decided to start with a clean slate. But Michele's point about the queen palm adding a sense of scale is well taken. Tom had mentioned a Palo Blanco as being a good, tall, thin tree for our yard. It's possible that we can plant this in the same spot to the right of the entrance where the old, much endeared palm once stood.

Sent by John Tynan | 8:00 AM ET | 08-08-2007

Yay! This is a wonderful outcome. Congrats to John and Rene for their environmental responsibility and progressive action. If only the rest of the city was as proactive!

Sent by Jen P. | 9:12 AM ET | 08-08-2007

Living in a desert & trying to maintain a Kentucky lawn is irresponsible, at best. I'm surprised & dismayed that the local gov't cited you for a dreary, but basically nonoffensive yard. I'm curious as to why you did not plead your case in a hearing? Xeriscaping is a viable alternative & I'm sure the finished product will look better in the long. I commend you for conservation efforts. We live in the south & plan to plant our entire back yard in wild flowers & grasses, indigious bushes & trees. Are your neighbors being cordial to you yet?

Sent by Bonnie | 11:08 AM ET | 08-08-2007

Hi Bonnie, thanks for the kudos. We did not plead our case to the city because we had been gathering quotes from landscapers anyway. I've tried to be friendly to them by saying hello the other day, and they seemed to have lightened up a bit, but they did not say one word about the work we did with our yard. I think I'll find a way to ask them directly in the course of our next exchange "so, we converted our yard to xeriscape. We're pretty proud of it..." Then see where the conversation takes us.

Sent by John Tynan | 11:59 AM ET | 08-08-2007

Just an observation I thought I would throw out there... Along the lines of Less is More, I mean really more. Environmental costs aside, xeriscaping is not an inexpensive proposition. Or are my expecations a little unrealistic? Is installing a kentucky lawn just as expensive? The city of Tempe offers up to $500 rebate for people converting to xeriscape. What other incentives are out there? What ways have you found to cut costs? Is converting to xeriscape something someone can really do on their own?

Sent by John Tynan | 12:35 PM ET | 08-08-2007

I'd love to hear an NPR piece on xeriscaping. We seem to go from drought to floods from one year to the next or so, and I can't help but wonder if a modified xeriscape would be an improvement on our crabgrass, pachysandra, etc.

Sent by Maureen | 8:16 PM ET | 08-08-2007

Xeriscaping was, IMO, the only solution to the Tynan's landscaping problems with their neighbors and city. I really applaud the approach they have taken. I rather imagine that the green grass neighbors are not too pleased with this solution, but somehow this thought pleases me. I for one am not disturbed by the austerity of the yard. The desert has a beauty all its own and the new yard emulates it nicely. I am curious about a comment John T made in an ealrlier post about the higher than anticipated costs and I would like to hear what factor(s) contributed most to these costs. Cheers!

Sent by John Watson | 8:59 PM ET | 08-08-2007

Bravo! It sounds as if this has been a win-win situation all the way around, despite the loss of the queen palm. I hope more areas offer rebates for xeriscaping soon.

I'll be waiting for that story on NPR!

Sent by Kerry | 1:30 AM ET | 08-09-2007

This post goes out to answer John's question about installation costs.
It should cost much less to install a well planned Xeriscaped plantscape than a Kentucky blue grass sod lawn.
In your particular case you had a fair amount of proper demolition to do to eradicate the root system of your former lawn. This is where a lot of your labor cost came into play.
Your other large material cost came in the form of the decompose granite / small chipped gravel for your surface/ ground cover.

In my neck of the woods ( Northern California ) decomposed granite is twice the cost of a sod lawn to install ( labor and materials ) but if you then factor in the cost of installing an automatic irrigation system and proper soil preparation installation techniques the cost per square foot is acutally LESS to install decomposed granite groundcover landscape scenario.
Then of course you have the overall maintenance costs to factor in as well, and it is far less expensive to maintain a Xeriscaped landscape than a sod lawn.
So you done good !

Sent by Michelle Derviss | 2:28 PM ET | 08-09-2007

Well, the outcome coulda been worse: this grandmother actually spent a night in jail because she hadn't watered her lawn in a year.

Sent by andy carvin | 3:32 PM ET | 08-09-2007

In answer to John Tynan's question about xeriscaping on your own, I think yes. I have been using High Country Gardens (www.highcountrygardens.com) as a resource for the last year to add drought and heat tolerant perennials to my garden in Louisiana. My goal was the relatively simple one of transitioning from an annual-dominated landscape that came with the house to one of perennials with year long interest. Even though HCG originates from New Mexico, they provide information on zone and sunlight limits for each plant that made the transition easy. They have a variety of lovely lawn grasses and planting ideas. I really like the detailed information on water and mowing reduction. Ketzel, maybe you shoudl feature David and Ava on a show, because they really have taken xeriscaping on as a mission.

Sent by Mary | 11:52 AM ET | 08-10-2007

Heading to HCG on Tuesday! Yes it is a VERY small world.

Sent by Ketzel Levine | 2:04 PM ET | 08-10-2007

Xeriscaping is big down here in Corpus Christi too. Moved to Padre Island from Louisiana last year and that was a new concept. Most of the plots here (hardly yards) are either paved over or have gravel mulch (most white). A few feed St. Augustine lawns. I have selectively nurtured wildfloweres in our yard - so we have a corner lot covered with Indian Blanket and Coreopsis. Some like it, some don't. No notice from the homeowners' association at this time!

Sent by Frank | 11:17 PM ET | 08-10-2007

Sorry about your troubles- they appeared outrageous. Maybe if more people in AZ got rid of lawns, there'd be more water, less chemical run off, less greenhouse gases from lawnmowers, but, gosh, less chemically nurtured green in the desert. Hmm. Of course, if you'd been willing to go that route, I guess you could've bought the genetically modified lawn that takes less water, grows slowly, and doesn't need chemicals.

Sent by Brian | 10:19 PM ET | 08-11-2007

Please please take this opportunity to think about planting your local wildflowers, whether cacti or daisies. Our wildflowers and their pollinators are endangered. Audubon has some suggestions for your lawn http://magazine.audubon.org/backyard/backyard0105.html

Sent by Bashaleya | 10:41 AM ET | 08-12-2007

I'm all in favor of xeriscaping (I have it) but this is a poor example of the application. If you're not familiar with the style, please don't judge by this. The best examples rely heavily on native plants and planting zones that reflect the use that will be made of the immediate area.

Sent by Mary Ann | 10:50 AM ET | 08-12-2007

How can you talk about xeriscape options for a lawn and not even mention....grass! That's right, I myself am putting in a variety called "blue grama", while another great options for a low-water, desert-soil-friendly, and, incidentally, low-maintenance, "buffalograss".
Yes, you can have a space with real turf where kids and pets can walk and play, that's still a pleasing green, yet conserve greatly on water--just look into blue grama and buffalograss.

Sent by Jeff White | 2:17 PM ET | 08-12-2007

Oh, I'm so excited -- to learn I'm not crazy! I have not watered my lawn in 3 years -- for the very obvious reasons: drought; respect for water, etc. And I get lots of criticism from family & friends. But now I know I am not alone! So I will continue.
[I'm 65, disabled, and low-income, so I may not be getting any professional help for my yard -- excluding a miracle --but I believe in miracles...]
Thanks!!!

Sent by Janet Murdock | 6:31 PM ET | 08-12-2007

When we listened to the segment this morning, my wife and I looked at each other and laughed. The Tempe couple, we believed, was us. A neighbor turned us in for dead grass (we maintain a winter lawn for the local kids, but let the grass die in summer). We talked with a council member who promised to bring the issue to their meetings with this twist: Why is it ok for the city to let grass go dormant in the winter, but it's against city code for residents to reverse the pattern? Maricopa County and all 20+ municipalities need legislation overhaul if we're sustain the lifestyle we all enjoy.

Sent by John & Wendy Jung | 10:39 PM ET | 08-12-2007

John and Wendy, You've got to go over and introduce yourself to the Tynans!

Sent by Ketzel Levine | 8:09 AM ET | 08-13-2007

As a native Tucsonan, I've always been dismayed at people who desperately cling to their front lawns. It's not like people are moving to Pennsylvania and takin' the cholla with them. Seems like a green lawn in southern Arizona just lacks common sense.

Sent by Lauren B. | 3:59 PM ET | 08-13-2007

We rent in Tucson, and our lease includes a provision on watering the lawn. We hate doing it though, would love a good way to rebel. We've thought of letting it die, and promising to bring it back 3 months before we move. My understanding is that the low-water grasses mentioned above are invasive and not really a good water solution either. Any thoughts?

Sent by Alyssa R. | 4:13 PM ET | 08-13-2007

I'm from the Midwest and now live in Phoenix and think there should be a permanent ban on grass installation. I'm all for xeriscape. Havve the commentators heard of or seen the newest artifical grass? It's awesome - good enough for Steve Wynn to use at his resort in Las Vegas. That's the best alternative to real grass.

Sent by Shari | 4:51 PM ET | 08-14-2007

I think everyone will be interested to know our discussion about xeriscaping made it to the national airwaves as part of NPR's Weekend Edition:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=12721928&sc=emaf

Great to see Ketzel's blog contributing to what gets on the air. Great to have been a part of this!

Sent by John Tynan | 1:19 PM ET | 08-15-2007